Drag Race RuCap: “The Crystal Ball”

NICK TAYLOR: Following the high entertainment value and disappointing culmination of last week’s LaLaPaRUza, I thought this was a pretty satisfying episode! The Ball’s been through a lot -- originally a late-game nailbiter that’s sent home many a fierce queen, it’s been deployed very early as of season 10. Can you imagine if this had been the third challenge? A nightmare. But here we are, on the 200th episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race, with officially half of the cast gone, to talk about the Crystal Ball! Was it everything you were hoping for, Cláudio?

CLÁUDIO ALVES: This was the season's most satisfying episode thus far from both a structural and entertainment perspective. At last, we have enough queens gone to make the editor’s job manageable within the 40-minute format, leaving enough space for a mini-challenge and even Ru’s typical pre-challenge walk-thru. My only quibble was with the actual performances…

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Drag Race RuCap: "LipSync LaLaPaRUza Smackdown"

CLÁUDIO ALVES: After weeks of epic-length write-ups, here we have an episode that feels poised to be taken care of quick and dirty. It’s the return of the LaLaPaRUza, a lipsync tournament to the death - in total, there are eight battles to consider and little else to examine. The 40-minute edit means there’s no time to indulge in whatever’s not part of the face-off, including any inkling of storyline development. Still, it’s an exciting chapter with a heartbreaking conclusion, one frustrating twist, and a slew of fabulous queens. Did you have fun?

NICK TAYLOR: In the words of Dorothea Fields, yes and no…

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Drag Race RuCap: “The Daytona Wind 2”

CLÁUDIO ALVES: Between this episode’s sequel to "Daytona Wind" and next week’s LaLaPaRUza 2.0, the show’s producers have decided that the way to make season 15 work is to copy its successful predecessor. Sadly, between the rushed edit and other concerns, this season continues to live in the shadow of the glorious 14. If anything, these repetitions only highlight the fact. That’s not to say “The Daytona Wind 2” is without its merits. All in all, it was a fun 40-minute chapter, though the laser focus on two feuding protagonists relegated most of the contestants to supporting roles.

NICK TAYLOR: Given the more noteworthy failures of pacing this season, The Daytona Winds 2” was pretty well-paced. Turning most of the cast into supporting players is a very real issue here --I'm afraid we’ll find out who gets eliminated next episode based solely on who gets chief narrator duties....

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Drag Race RuCap: “Old Friends Gold”

NICK TAYLOR: Well girl, it finally happened: Drag Race did a Golden Girls themed challenge! The Girl Group challenge - an infrequently repeated challenge that’s more of a fixture on All-Stars and the international spin-offs than the main stage - is the Golden Girls Group this year. It’s also the first challenge of season 15 where I find myself out of step with the judge’s decision-making on several fronts, even if I see why they made their choices. What do you think of the girl group challenge historically, and how does that stack up with today’s episode?

CLÁUDIO ALVES: I really love the girl group episodes, especially on international seasons. If you asked me to replace a mainstay maxi challenge, I’d probably erase the obligatory makeover/family resemblance nonsense with this musical trial. However, I can’t quite say “Old Friends Gold” ranks high amid its girl group sisters. Part of it is the rushed edit, but another big factor is, as you say, the judging. The judges and I were watching two different performances this week...

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Drag Race RuCap: “House of Fashion”

Janelle Monáe is this week's extra special judge.

CLÁUDIO ALVES: Five episodes and four weeks in, Drag Race season 15 finally delivers an episode that isn't criminally ill-paced. Sure, the beginning is rushed as fuck, and there are still no judge deliberations to be seen, but it’s miles better than the previous episodes. Some would call this a filler episode, I wager, as no storyline moves forward in any significant way. Nevertheless, “House of Fashion” left me satisfied in a way I hadn’t felt yet this season.

NICK TAYLOR: The truncation of the reading challenge was a clear sore point, but it’s maybe my only complaint in what’s otherwise a well-paced episode of television. It looks like dropping a few contestants really has eased up the editor’s gas pedal. This week’s elimination keeps “House of Fashion” from being as paradigm-shifting as Snatch Game, but it’s about the best showcase for all of the queen’s talents so far...

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